☆、Old Acquaintances, Zombie Horde Appears

Alice's words upset Ye Xi, but she was far from being foolish enough to show it on her face. She watched coldly as LJ got into Carlos's car, letting out a sneer. In truth, she already knew that Claire couldn't bring herself to abandon the still-sane LJ, so she could only leave him with Carlos, the mercenary, to kill him as soon as he turned into a zombie.

Ye Xi swiftly mounted her horse and silently walked to LJ's side. With her superior eyesight, Ye Xi could eliminate the near-zombie before Carlos noticed. However, perhaps the trauma Ye Xi had inflicted on LJ was too great, because upon seeing Ye Xi preparing to follow, even though there was a door between them, he immediately closed the window tightly and moved closer to Carlos.

"Hey, aren't you researching antibodies? Don't you have any ready-made products?" Nikola rode his cool Harley motorcycle slowly alongside Ye Xi, speaking cautiously, afraid of becoming a victim of Ye Xi's anger (Nikola thought so).

Ye Xi rolled her eyes at him: "Didn't I tell you that there was nothing because of the sandstorm?"

"Can't we do it anymore?" someone continued cautiously.

"Do you have those chemical instruments?" Ye Xi rolled her eyes again, shutting Nikola down with one sentence. So the mercenary retreated to the side, his mercenary intuition telling him that Ye Xi was not to be trifled with at this moment.

The three newcomers, Ye Xi, Nikolai, and Alice, each received a walkie-talkie. The occasional discussions coming from the walkie-talkies became Ye Xi's companions throughout the journey. After an hour or two of casual conversation, the already outgoing and humorous Nikolai quickly became familiar with everyone, with even Alice occasionally chiming in. In contrast, Ye Xi appeared much more aloof, not uttering a single word from the beginning. Despite Nikolai and Carlos's attempts to liven things up, Ye Xi remained unmoved.

It's unclear what happened in the past three years that turned this once easy-going girl into such a cold and distant person. Even when she jokes with them, she exudes a sense of aloofness, leaving the two mercenaries at a loss and further fueling their dislike for Umbrella.

In reality, it's less accurate to say that Ye Xi is indifferent and more accurate to say that she doesn't know how to get along with these humans. Moreover, Ye Xi has been secretly calling for the O virus from time to time for the past few hours, but it has never appeared, let alone said anything in its calm and indifferent tone.

"Hmph, I refuse to believe you can ignore me forever..." Ye Xi muttered, her eyes, which had been fixed straight ahead, finally showing anger and a hint of worry. Previously, the O virus would always reappear just when Ye Xi was about to forget about it. From initial impatience to adaptation to dependence, this change was incredibly rapid in the apocalypse. But now, the O virus seemed to have left her body, and the fear of being alone made Ye Xi very uncomfortable, or rather, very unwilling.

This is not a good sign, no, it should be said that this is a terrible thing… Ye Xi frowned and thought to herself, then shook her head, preparing to change the subject. So she finally picked up the walkie-talkie and suddenly interrupted Carlos and Nicola while they were joking about their flirting experiences: “Are you guys really planning to go to Las Vegas?”

There was a few seconds of silence on the walkie-talkie before Claire's voice came through: "Is there a problem?"

"You can hear that broadcast, and so can Umbrella. How can we be sure it's not a trap or...bait?" Ye Xi narrowed her eyes slightly. To be honest, she really didn't want to get involved with anything related to Umbrella right now, and she especially didn't want to see Wesker. Just thinking about him made Ye Xi tremble uncontrollably.

Ye Xi's words immediately jolted everyone awake, followed by another round of discussion. But amidst this discussion, Claire's voice stood out: "We have no choice now, do we? Even though we know there's danger, as long as there's a sliver of hope, we have to take the risk. Isn't that what we live for?"

What an inspiring, or rather seductive, statement... Ye Xi sighed inwardly, but said nothing.

As the sun began to set in the west, and given that the convoy hadn't found a suitable motel, the group decided to set up camp. Carlos went out on patrol as usual to install sensors, while Claire arranged for the distribution of the few remaining canned goods. Canned food was considered a delicacy in the apocalypse, but Ye Xi would never ask for any. She took out her only can of caviar, hesitated for a moment, and then opened the lid.

"Sister Ye Xi, it seems you don't like this." A girl with long, curly blonde hair, like a princess, quietly walked up to Ye Xi. She seemed a little afraid of Ye Xi and a little shy. Her clear and soft voice was filled with hesitation. She blushed after saying just a few words.

Ye Xi glanced at the blonde little girl but didn't say anything. Although the little girl looked familiar, she didn't remember anyone like her and didn't like strangers calling her so intimately. It was probably a long-standing distrust of humans that made her so reluctant to interact with strangers.

"Here you go," the little girl held up the can of oatmeal and offered it to Ye Xi, "I don't know if you like it... I... I think oatmeal is delicious..."

"Why?" Ye Xi asked, somewhat surprised.

"Um... because... because you saved me, I want to thank you..." the little girl answered shyly, clutching the hem of her clothes. Her head was lowered, revealing her fluffy golden hair, and her slightly chubby chin almost touched her chest. Hearing this, Ye Xi thought for a moment. In the past three years, she could count the number of times she had saved people on one hand, and more. She seemed to realize something and said uncertainly, "You're the girl Carlos protected, right? But the only one I wanted to save was Carlos. You were just incidental. Don't misunderstand."

The little girl was clearly taken aback by Ye Xi's words. Her light gray eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she looked at Ye Xi pitifully, as if Ye Xi had done something to her. It's hard to imagine that such a pure and gentle girl could still survive in this cruel world.

"Ellie!" A blond boy called out to the little girl from a distance, immediately running to her side and picking her up, who was almost crying, and letting her sit on his arm. "What are you doing here? I've told you many times not to go near her!" The boy looked Ye Xi up and down with his sharp, light gray eyes, his face full of wariness.

The little girl, called Ellie, looked distressed and said in a hoarse, soft voice, "But...but Sister Ye Xi saved me..."

"That's another matter. If this woman doesn't accept it, so be it. Why keep clinging to her like she's something special!" The boy's face darkened, and he remained wary of Ye Xi, turning away with a sneer before leaving with his still hesitant sister in his arms. Ye Xi wasn't a good-tempered person, but she didn't need to get angry at this brat. She simply took his rudeness as his disgust for her monstrous constitution.

Claire witnessed everything. She had come to give the canned goods to Ye Xi, but instead saw this scene. "You really don't remember them?" Claire asked uncertainly.

Ye Xi frowned. In the past three years, she hadn't really taken anyone to heart. She shook her head and gave a light laugh: "I don't even remember the people I've killed, so how could I remember those insignificant people?"

Claire was surprised and even a little angry at the answer. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. In the end, she just sighed and went back to make other arrangements.

The weather in the desert is always extreme; as hot as the day, as cold as the night. Ye Xi declined the invitation to sleep in the carriage, lit a small fire, crawled into her sleeping bag, leaned against her horse, and closed her eyes. For a moment, apart from the crackling of the burning firewood, the world was silent. Ye Xi, who had been lying awake for a long time, opened her eyes and looked at the countless stars in the sky, their white light adorning the night sky as clear as a dark blue sapphire. Ye Xi had seen this dreamlike beauty countless times, and perhaps only at this moment could she truly find peace.

Perhaps it's time to leave tonight, before dawn when the night watchmen are most exhausted. Ye Xi thought to herself, since they're determined to go to Las Vegas, there's no need for Ye Xi to stay with them any longer. Of course, she'll just consider it a sudden pang of conscience, and blow that quasi-zombie's head off with a knife before she leaves.

Ye Xi nodded to herself, turned over, and was about to start counting sheep when a flat voice suddenly sounded in her mind: 'Ye Xi, leave here within five minutes.'

Ye Xi was startled, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly: "Oh, isn't this A-Quan? Tsk tsk, I thought you could go months without talking to me like you did two years ago." Although her voice was very low, it was not hard to hear the teasing in her words, and it was clear that Ye Xi did not take the warning about the O virus to heart.

"Stop joking, there's a horde of zombies 290 meters away." The O-virus responded coldly to Ye Xi's teasing, but there was a hint of tolerance in its tone, though Ye Xi was completely oblivious to it. For most of the past three years, Ye Xi had felt that the O-virus had only one unchanging attitude.

Ye Xi's smile froze: "The zombie horde... how many zombies are you referring to?"

"What do you consider to be a group?" O Virus asked calmly.

Ye Xi immediately crawled out of her sleeping bag, then quietly packed it away and tied it to the black horse. She didn't need to notify Carlos and the others; given the zombies' slow speed, the sensors 200 meters away would give them ample time to escape after the alarm went off. She was simply taking a step ahead and separating herself from the team.

Although Ye Xi's plans were meticulously laid out, reality was always far more cruel than she had imagined. Perhaps disturbed from its rest, the black horse let out a disgruntled neigh, which, though not loud, sounded particularly clear in the quiet environment. Damn it! Ye Xi cursed under her breath, almost unable to resist slapping the troublesome horse, but Alice interrupted her.

"Ye Xi, where are you... going?" Alice, who was particularly sensitive to everything around her, was the first to wake up. She looked at Ye Xi, who was all ready to go, and frowned slightly.

Fortunately, Ye Xi hadn't wasted these past three years. She remained calm and composed, saying with an air of righteousness, "I sensed the presence of zombies. There are many of them. Come with me. They're about 240 meters away."

Alice's expression changed, but she didn't notice anything wrong with Ye Xi. She quickly came to Ye Xi's side and whispered, "We should tell them and then leave directly. Rushing in recklessly won't solve the problem. We can't kill all those things."

Seeing Alice's unyielding tone, Ye Xi mentally slammed the table, but outwardly remained dignified, solemnly nodding before turning to organize the weapons and magazines. Perhaps due to their frequent encounters with such emergencies, the team members remained calm, quickly and efficiently organizing their gear, finishing in less than two minutes.

"What about the sensors?" A boy popped out of the van full of computer equipment and asked anxiously.

“Let’s just throw those things away. It’s too late to get them now. Human lives are more important than sensors,” Claire replied as she called the children to get in the car.

The boy became even more anxious: "But... we don't have any spares. If we don't get those sensors back, I think the nights will be even harder from now on."

The team was stunned upon hearing the news, and a tense atmosphere suddenly enveloped them. "Nikolai, lend me your car, I'll go get it." Carlos frowned, took out his gun, and volunteered. He was well aware of the importance and danger of this operation, and knew that the chances of not returning were very high, but that did not shake his resolve.

"Dude, how could I possibly let you come along? We're brothers!" Nikola patted Carlos on the shoulder, while flashing his weapon.

"How about this, Ye Xi, Alice, you two go with Carlos and the others. We'll meet at the next motel," Claire said to Ye Xi and Alice after thinking for a moment. Both of them were strong women who had been modified by the virus, and with them around, Carlos and Carlos would definitely be safer.

Alice agreed without hesitation. Although Ye Xi nodded with a serious face, she was already in tears inside. Obviously, it would be unwise to refuse in front of so many people, including the awesome Alice. Ye Xi couldn't possibly fight against them alone. Fortunately, she could escape the group in the chaos once the four of them left, otherwise it would have been a tragedy.

'Ye Xi, remember, unless absolutely necessary... don't do that again...' Having spent three years with Ye Xi, the O virus naturally understood her thoughts, so it didn't say anything more. After hesitating for a long time, it only said this sentence in a flat tone, which made Ye Xi pause, feeling a warmth in her heart for no reason. She nodded gently with a faint smile:

"Um……"

Author's Note: Thank you, Ayan, for the landmine! ~~~ Yan-chan, I love you forever! ~~ I hate caching stuff the most! JJ, you slutty jerk who deserves a beating!! No doubt there's something fishy going on between A-Quan and Ye Xi (picking nose and rolling around begging for comments and support). Be careful, you overlords, the beautiful Sadako might stay in your house and refuse to leave!